May 3: The CBI on Monday told a city court that it will seek sanction for prosecution of senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and others on the charge of sedition for their alleged involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Appearing before the court of additional sessions judge (ASJ) Sunita Gupta, CBI counsel D.P. Singh said, “We will seek sanction for prosecution of Mr Kumar for the charges of sedition under Section 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).” Mr Singh also corroborated the fact that there was enough material to order framing of charges against Kumar and other accused persons.
“We have to establish here that there was enough prima facie materials to order framing of charges. We are not required to analyse the statement of each and every witness at this stage,” Mr Singh said.
The CBI counsel also opposed the argument of Mr Kumar’s lawyer, I.U. Khan, that the probe agency had re-registered the FIR already investigated by the Delhi police.
Mr Singh submitted before the court that the CBI merely reopened the case on the recommendation of the G.T. Nanavati Commission, which had concluded that there was credible evidence to register case against the 62-year-old leader Sajjan Kumar.
The counsel, however, faced tough time to answer a query posed by the court as to why it did not file the chargesheet in the matter in the court where the matter was already pending. Opposing the argument of CBI counsel, defence refer-red to previous decisions of the trial courts allowing closure of cases against Mr Kumar and others.